England’s Georgia Hall will play in her fifth consecutive Solheim Cup after being selected as one of Suzann Pettersen’s four captain’s picks. Hall, 28, who joins her compatriot Charley Hull on the Norwegian captain’s team, just missed out on automatic qualification.
Pettersen also named Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, both returning from last year’s lineup in Andalusia, the former once again named as vice-captain.
Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela has been selected as one of two rookies, along with the automatic qualifier German Esther Henseleit, set to represent Europe when the competition begins at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia on 13 September.
Hall, who earned automatic selection in her previous four appearances, told Sky Sports: “I’m really excited to get going. It’s always a great honour to represent Europe and to be part of the team and hopefully we can win it four times in a row. Being a pick obviously the first time is a different experience, but I feel like I’m playing well, some good results the last couple of months, and again it will just be a great week and hopefully bring the trophy home.”
Should Europe retain the trophy, it would be the first time in the history of the competition that a team secure the trophy on four consecutive occasions. Europe won in 2019 and 2021, and tied in Spain last year to retain the trophy.
Pettersen, speaking on Sky, said of Hall: “It’s maybe not the biggest surprise, but she was always going to be on this team. She’s one really tough match player. She just has that naturally in her.
“She loves this. Solheim for her has been one of the highlights of her career and she’s just dying to get there in a couple of weeks.”
Nordqvist will become the most capped Swede in the competition with nine appearances, and said: “There is no bigger honour than to represent Europe in the Solheim Cup, so I am very excited to have been picked to play in my ninth.”
It is a fourth appearance for Pedersen, while Valenzuela, 26, becomes the first player from Switzerland to represent Europe in the competition. She said: “It is absolutely surreal, and a dream come true. I have dreamt of being in the team ever since I was a kid.”
Hull, who is set for her seventh appearance, qualified after a top-20 finish at the AIG Women’s Open to top the Ladies European Tour Solheim Cup Points list.
Henseleit secured second spot in the standings, while Céline Boutier, Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Leona Maguire, Carlota Ciganda and Madelene Sagström all return to the side via automatic selection.
